Geography
Japan is situated in northeastern Asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The area of Japan is 377,873 square kilometers, nearly equivalent to Germany and Switzerland combined or slightly smaller than California. Japan consists of four major islands, surrounded by more than 4,000 smaller islands.
Shown below are the four major islands, their locations and sizes.| Hokkaido (northern island) | 83,000 square kilometers |
| Honshu (main island) | 231,000 square kilometers |
| Shikoku (smallest island) | 19,000 square kilometers |
| Kyushu (southern island) | 42,000 square kilometers |
Japan's topographical features include coastlines with varied scenery, towering mountains, which are very often volcanic and twisted valleys that invite visitors into the mysterious world of nature.
Language
There is only one official language spoken in Japan, which is of course Japanese. However, many Japanese are able to understand English to a certain extent since English is the foreign language that everyone must learn as part of compulsory education.Even if you don't understand Japanese, you can still certainly enjoy Japan. But if you know a few everyday Japanese phrases then it will make your trip even more memorable. A few words make a big difference.
| Useful Japanese Phrases: Japanese < > English | |
| Ohayou gozaimasu | Good morning |
| Kon'nichiwa | Good afternoon |
| Kon'banwa | Good evening |
| Oyasumi nasai | Good night |
| Sayounara | Good-bye |
| Sumimasen | Excuse me |
| Gomen nasai | I am sorry |
| Wakarimasen | I don't understand |
| Arigatou | Thank you |
| Hai | Yes |
| Iie | No |
Population
Japan's population is over 126 million. Most Japanese reside in densely populated urban areas. Japan's capital city is Tokyo. The population of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area including the city, some of its suburbs and the surrounding area is approximately 12 million.| Major cities of Japan and their approximate populations | |
| City | Population |
| Tokyo | 12,059,000 |
| Yokohama | 3,426,000 |
| Osaka | 2,598,000 |
| Nagoya | 2,171,000 |
| Sapporo | 1,822,000 |
| Kobe | 1,493,000 |
| Fukuoka | 1,290,000 |
| Sendai | 1,008,000 |